MANILA, Philippines — Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo on Wednesday encouraged parents to vaccinate their children, as he urged the national government “to take immediate action” against the polio outbreak.

“It is very sad that there is a re-emergence of polio after having eliminated it for many years,” Pabillo said. “This tells us that we should not let down our guard in fighting diseases.”

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Pabillo said the government, particularly the Department of Health, must work together to achieve high vaccination rate among children and eliminate the spread of the possibly deadly infectious disease.

According to Pabillo, “there is no place for complacency” in keeping the country polio-free again.

“DOH should also be warned to be very transparent in its programs to gain the trust of the people and to allay their fears,” Pabillo noted.

The World Health Organization declared the Philippines polio-free two decades ago. Last week, DOH confirmed the polio epidemic with the confirmation of a case in Lanao del Sur. A second case was then reported in Laguna.

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